Terrible frame rate ruins an otherwise great game!
User Rating: 6.5 | The Sims 2 PC
The Sims 2 please take into consideration my own following parameters: New features 7 Gameplay 6 Graphics 9 Frame rate 2 Sound 8 Fun 6 Addictiveness 9 Value 5 Overall 6 Should I buy it? No New features: · Customisable 3D camera angle · Sims grow up and die · “Hopes and fears” fears – you must help your characters to achieve their aspirations, doing so will give you rewards amongst other things - to stop your Sim from growing old if you so wish · You can live through as many future generations as you want · Body shop – allows you to fully customise your own character and their clothes, you simple edit their clothes in Paint or any photo editing software. Also you can again customise their personality and aspirations · Design your own town, you can also upload your sim city 4 towns into the game · Loads of new building items – foundations, 2 story windows, awesome designer spot lights to name a few · Loads of new furniture and other house hold objects · Loads of new downloadable items and software including a wallpaper editor similar to the one for the original Sims · New more detailed character interactions · Up to 5 story/level homes can built · Go into town and buy food, clothes, video games, magazines etc, of just go to the park or go swimming, and invite your friends with you · Upload your Mp3 music into the game Gameplay: The Sims 2 plays much in the same way that the original Sims did. The new 3D camera angle is easy to use, and adds much realism to the experience. But the terrible frame rate stops it from being user friendly Graphics: The game looks great and it will allow you to create your dream home. Superb lighting, shadow and reflection effects add realism to the experience. The colours are so uplifting and it puts a smile on your face, this game is aesthetic. Frame rate: Terrible, awful, abysmal, any word meaning bad really. I have a top of the range PC and this game will not run smoothly when a lot is going on. And changing the graphical quality has no effect, no matter how good or fast your PC, this game will not run smooth for you in certain situations and it probably will ruin the experience for you as it did me. It goes from bad to worse the more people you have in your home and the bigger the home. Sound: Great – there is a feature that allows you to upload your favourite music in the form of Mp3 into the game and your Sims can listen to it on the radio or on the stereo. the sound effects are solid, but the Sims still speak nonesense. Fun: Yes its is fun but the poor frame rate spoils the experience and will just annoy you. Addictiveness: Despite the terrible frame rate, this game is ridiculously addictive, you will probably find yourself spending full days on this maybe even missing meals. Value: You get a lot of game for your money, you will find yourself wanting to help your Sims’ children grow up and get good jobs and then do the same with their children and so on. but you will again be put off, and become fed up with the frame rate. Overall: This game feels like it has a lot of depth, but it is frustrating in the fact that this sense of depth you get when the game is actually very deceptive. You feel as though there is more for you to do and see in the game, when in fact there really isn’t and when this dawns on you will stop playing it. And there are no patches which fix this frame rate. Should I Buy it: No, keep your money, it will keep you occupied all day everyday for about a week but then you will probably have had you fill of it. Although if you are a fan of interior (and exterior for that matter) design it may appeal to you, if not to just design a home but not actually play the game Reviewed by Tim Peck aka pecktwby. 09/06/2005 
